KOLKATA/NEW DELHI, Aug 13 - Communist veteran and former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee passed away at a private hospital here this morning following multiple organ failure. He was 89.
The 10-time Lok Sabha MP is survived by his wife Renu, a son and two daughters.
Chatterjee passed away around 8.15 am after his condition deteriorated following a mild heart attack yesterday, a hospital official said.
�He suffered multiple organ failure and had stopped responding to treatment late last night,� the official told PTI.
His body was taken to the state Assembly, where it was accorded a gun salute, and then to his residence.
Chatterjee, who was associated with the Communist Party of India-Marxist for most of his life, had donated his body to medical science.
It will be handed over to the government-run SSKM hospital later in the day.
He had suffered a cardiac arrest, systemic sepsis and renal failure along with respiratory problems and underlying diabetes, said a senior doctor, who was treating him.
Chatterjee suffered a mild heart attack yesterday morning but was revived.
The former speaker had suffered a haemorrhagic stroke last month.
Known as a �Bhadralok (gentleman) Communist� like his mentor Jyoti Basu, Chatterjee had been under treatment for the past 40 days. He was discharged from hospital just for three days after his health had shown signs of improvement.
However, his condition deteriorated last Tuesday and he had to be hospitalised again, the hospital official said.
Leaders across party lines condoled the death of Chatterjee, describing him as an outstanding parliamentarian who enriched Indian politics.
Condoling his death, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was a stalwart of Indian politics.
�He made our parliamentary democracy richer and was a strong voice for the well-being of the poor and vulnerable,� the Prime Minister said.
Chatterjee, who was speaker of the Lok Sabha from 2004 to 2009, was expelled from the CPI(M) in 2008 for refusing to resign as speaker after his party withdrew support to the UPA-I government. � PTI
Staff Reporter adds: Governor Professor Jagdish Mukhi and Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal have mourned the death of former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, who breathed his last on Monday.
In his condolence message, the Governor said Somnath Chatterjee was a symbol of value-based politics and his long career as a parliamentarian is characterised by values and principles.
Sonowal said with the death of Somnath Chatterjee the country has lost an able son who contributed greatly to the growth of parliamentary democracy in India.
